What is the history of the name "Sophisticated Swing"
(which started to be used by Arthur Murray in the 1950s)
for the dance we now call West Coast Swing?
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SOPHISTICATED SWING, 1937
Will Hudson (music)-Mitchell Parrish (lyrics) 1937
recorded by Bunny Berrigan Orchestra (1938), Jimmy Dorsey,
Les Brown, Count Basie, others
1. Honey, mascara your eyebrow and come with me.
We're gonna step into highbrow society.
Doin' the platinum plated
Sophisticated Swing.
2. There'll be an orchestra playin' the latest hits.
While we are swingin' and swayin' down at the Ritz.
Doin' a perfectly mated
Sophisticated Swing.
3.My, we must dance refined.
Still, if you're inclined,
to go to town, we'll go dear.
4.Honey, we're gonna do it in style deluxe,
And we can just about do it on seven bucks.
Doin' the newly created
Sophisticated Swing.
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transcribed from the Berrigan recording by K. Lichtmann
Comment: the publication date 1937 corresponds to the approximate time frame in Southern California ballrooms,
when it was noted that people were dancing slotted swing.
Also, interestingly, the tempo of the Berrigan recording is 124 bpm.
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Mitchell Parrish, aka: Parish.
b. July 10, 1900, Shreveport, LA, USA. d. May 31, 1993, USA
Lyricist Mitchell Parrish was an active writer from the 1920's to 1960's.
He attended Columbia Unversity and New York University.
Parrish began his career as staff writer for NYC music publishers.
Some of the composers with whom he collaborated include:
Peter De Rose; Duke Ellington; Sammy Fain; Will Hudson;
Ben Oakland, and Frank Perkins.
A short list of some of Mitchell Parrish's credits:
1928 "Sweet Lorraine," Pianist: I. Schwartz
1931 "Corinna, Corinna"
1931 "Star Dust," music by Hoagy Carmichael.
"Stardust" is the #1 most-covered song by vocalists & orchestras in popular music history.
1932 "Sentimental Gentleman From Georgia"
1937 "Sophisticated Swing"
1938 "Don't Be That Way"
1938 "It's Wonderful"
1939 "Moonlight Serenade"
1939 "Stairway To The Stars"
1958 "Volare"
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